How TR2 started their web page design journey

Summary

TR2 is launching another contest; website for TR2 Events http://www.tr2events.com. Logo can be found at http://profile.imageshack.us/user/tr2/
We are an event management company based in the US, which specializes in IT events. We require an elegant, sophisticated homepage with possible flash elements throughout. It is IMPORTANT THAT THE DESIGNS REFLECT THE FLOW AND ELEGANCE OUR OUR LOGO - LET THE LOGO BE THE BASE OF YOUR DESIGN; not an afterthought placed in the corner out of obligation. Also, since we manage the “look and feel” of an event, our website needs to convey a strong sense of design. Currently, we do NOT have a website as we are a new company. Coding is NOT necessary, however, there is a $600 bonus for a designer that can code and/or manage the coding process. Winning designer MUST design the 5 supbages as well. That design of the inner pages is included in the prize money. Please note that you do NOT have to create those 5 supbages during the contest stage, as we envision those supbages to obviously be similar in the look to the homepage.

******PLEASE READ OUR IN-DEPTH BRIEF**********

Company name

TR2 Events - transforming your events into an experience

What inspires you and how do you envision the design for your business?

As always, TR2 promises feedback and encouragement so no need to wait to enter the contest. We will respond privately to EVERYONE. You have taken the time to submit a design, the least we can do is provide feedback. Please note, that we are not posting this contest anywhere else and will be awarding a 99designs Designer. This will be our 4th contest on 99desings within 2 months – we love it here!

Who We Are: TR2 Events is an event management company that specializes in the IT Industry events. We plan all areas of an event from site selection, program development, registration to sponsorship and exhibit management. This is a new company, which is woman owned.

Our expertise is in hotel contract negotiations, sponsorship development and cost-savings measurements.

Our goal is to make our clients look great to their attendees. We like to remain in the background and have a perfect event.

Our clients are mainly in the IT industry. Past clients include the US Department of Defense, Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. We plan to expand to other industries, such as healthcare in 2009.

Wants

CREATIVITY – this is your time to think outside the box!
• The winning designer will need to design the following 5 supbages:
1. Who we are (overview of TR2 Events)
2. What we do (this supbages will consist of 5 sub headers which will each have their own page: Registration, Content & Speaker, Logistics & Operations, Exhibit and Sponsorship, Marketing)
3. Portfolio (this will be a photo gallery of websites, logos, branding materials, and case studies)
4. Events/New
5. Contact Us
• We do not envision having a lot of copy and for the most part; the site will only be updated about 3 – 4 times a year and mostly in the “events/news” sub page.
• We want a classy, elegant, yet very modern and sophisticated site. Please take note of the logo - we love it and would like the look and feel of it to set the tone of the site.
• If flash can be incorporated throughout great as we tend to like sites that have incorporated flash. If not, that is ok as well.
• Navigation must be consistent in behavior across all pages.
• TR2 Logo must be prominently displayed on all page, especially the homepage
• Site should be both Mac and PC compatible
• We like black, white, off white and green as the basic colors. If you were to add another color, perhaps a dark red. The logo was designed on this site and can be referenced by contest number 11026 .
• Fonts: something easy to read and web safe – nothing in the site should be cartoonish. Again, something more elegant would be ideal.
• Sites that we love which are also are competitors are http://www.gpj.com (love the simplicity and use of the green throughout) and http://www.hbstubbs.com
• As for graphics – please think outside the box. This contest is guaranteed at a higher than most contests - we expect creativity, so do not ask for samples of pictures that we like - that is what we are paying you for. If we give you the type of pictures we want, then we would have priced the contest at 1k instead. We are so tired of seeing the obligatory handshake and business stock photos – boring. If you can find istock.com or reasonable photos (which will we pay) that are of event, or tradeshows or registration lines, great. But again, let your creativity flow and again, please no handshake stock photos….did we say that those are boring.
• A note about the coding, this site will NOT be a complicated database-driven site, however, depending upon your design, may uses flash elements extensively throughout
SOME SAMPLE SITES THAT WE LIKE:http://www.oeg-inc.com/ - I like the use of the boxes and how the different types of event keep rotating – REALLY like that. And btw, we do same types of event: product launches; trade shows, board meetings, themed events, corporate sales meetings, executive retreats, corporate events, destination management, press events, etc… What I don’t like is that the photos seem a bit random and not as related to the events industry as I would like. At first glance, I think it is a furniture rental company.

We would also ask that if you are selected as a finalist to provide 2 samples - one with the flash elements, and one without.

Don't want

• Boring, stock images of “corporate” world i.e., no handshakes.
• Pastel colors such as pinks & blues
• Standard templates
• Room for tons of copy on the front page - do not want a lot of copy boxes.
• Design prima donnas – if you are going to bitch about our comments/answers to your questions – then don’t apply. We realize that there is a chance that we will see something that we love, yet didn’t anticipate and didn’t include in the brief – that happens. We provide honest feedback in the hopes of creating something amazing together – please don’t take our comments for more than that.